HC Deb 09 July 1975 vol 895 cc211-2W
Mr. Pardoe

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will seek to amend the regulations governing the payment of supplementary benefit so as to disallow payment to any claimant who knowingly moves to an area of high seasonal unemployment and embarks on a seasonal business, the profits from which are unlikely to be sufficient to support him and his family for the whole year.

Mr. O'Malley

I appreciate that these cases can cause some difficulty, and I understand that the Chairman of the Supplementary Benefits Commission has written to the hon. Member about the problems involved. There is no reason to

Prescribed income levels as percentage of gross earnings Families with
Date Average weekly gross earnings* 1 child 2 children 4 children
August 1971 £30.60 59 65 78
April 1972 £32.89 61 67 79
April 1973 £37.85 55 62 75
October 1973 £40.92 53 59 71
July 1974 £46.25 54 61 74

think, however, that deliberate abuse of this kind is widespread, and I do not accept that special regulations are called for.